Search
137 Marine Microbial Genomes from Cultured Samples are Sequenced and Compared to Sorcerer II Global Ocean Expedition Samples by Researchers at J. Craig Venter Institute
ROCKVILLE, MD and SAN DIEGO, CA — November 3, 2010 — Researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), a not-for-profit genomic research organization, published results today describing the sequencing and analysis of 137 marine microbial genomes living in the global ocean surface. The research was published by JCVI lead authors Shibu Yooseph and Kenneth Nealson and colleagues in Nature. The results give clearer insights into life in this region of the ocean by showing that...
JCVI Scientists along with International Team of Researchers Sequence the Genome of Model Legume, Medicago
ROCKVILLE, MD — (November 16, 2011) — Scientists from the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), along with a team of international researchers led by those at the University of Minnesota, have sequenced and published a draft genome of the model legume, Medicago truncatula, also known by its common name, "barrel medic". The results of this multi-year project were published this week in the online edition of the journal Nature. JCVI researchers, led by Christopher Town, Ph.D., played...
Groundbreaking study reveals oral microbiome’s role in immune response and COVID-19 severity
La Jolla, California—April 18, 2024—The human mouth is teaming with organisms collectively referred to as “the oral microbiome.” A growing body of evidence shows that in healthy individuals, the oral microbiome acts as a critical first line of defense against unwanted bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens that enter our mouths, including the virus that causes COVID-19. The human microbiome has a direct relationship with the immune system. In a newly published study, a team of...
Influenza A Virus Discovered in Heart Muscle Tissue Causing Damage Long After It Has Cleared from the Lungs
(Rockville, Maryland)—January 27, 2021—Scientists from the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) have discovered that Influenza A virus (IAV) is found in heart tissue after it has been cleared from the lungs in mouse models. Live IAV present during convalescence does not actively replicate, preventing development of antiviral inflammatory responses, thus cloaking it from the immune system. Undetected, the virus continues to disrupt mitochondrial function, causing a metabolic breakdown and...
Biowalk of Fame
There is a new “Biowalk of Fame” in Maryland, and our own Craig Venter was one of the first honorees receiving a plaque, which is there for all to see as you stroll through lovely Silver Spring. Other honorees include Dr. Martin Rodbell and Ben Carson. The event to honor the awardees was on April 22, which also it happens to be Earth Day. Although it rained heavily throughout the event, there were a large number of people in attendance including several local government...
Scientists develop most complete whole-cell computer simulation model of cell to date
LA JOLLA, CA—January 20, 2022—Scientists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, J. Craig Venter Institute, and Technische Universität Dresden have developed a computer model of the minimized synthetic cell, JCVI-syn3A, that accurately predicts the growth and molecular structure of its real-life analog. It is the most complete computer-simulated whole-cell model to date. The findings have been published in the journal Cell. The JCVI team has been doggedly pursuing...
JCVI Scientists Publish First Bacterial Genome Transplantation Changing One Species to Another
ROCKVILLE, MD — June 28, 2007 — Researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) today announced the results of work on genome transplantation methods allowing them to transform one type of bacteria into another type dictated by the transplanted chromosome. The work, published online in the journal Science, by JCVI's Carole Lartigue, Ph.D. and colleagues, outlines the methods and techniques used to change one bacterial species, Mycoplasma capricolum into another, Mycoplasma...
Of Jaws and Man
SINGAPORE AND ROCKVILLE, MD, December 21, 2006 — A joint team of scientists from Singapore A*STAR's Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) and the United States-based J. Craig Venter Institute have completed an initial sequence of the elephant shark genome. By comparing this genome to the human genome they have discovered a large number of ancient DNA fragments in the human genome. These ancient DNA fragments in the human genome do not make proteins; instead they regulate...
The dog genome: survey sequencing and comparative analysis.
A survey of the dog genome sequence (6.22 million sequence reads; 1.5x coverage) demonstrates the power of sample sequencing for comparative analysis of mammalian genomes and the generation of species-specific resources. More than 650 million base pairs (>25%) of dog sequence align uniquely to the human genome, including fragments of putative orthologs for 18,473 of 24,567 annotated human genes. Mutation rates, conserved synteny, repeat content, and phylogeny can be compared among human,...